Life has been such a roller coaster for me these past few months.

I got cancer. At a young age. When I was 24.

I’m 25 now.

As with any sickness, it took me by surprise. And I had thought that I would be one of the healthiest of all my siblings. Turns out, there were different plans for me in the cards.

Despite undergoing chemotherapy, the terrors it holds, and returning to work before I finished my work-in-progress’ editing, I was blessed with the time to get my first book finished.

Life was going well for me before I discovered my cancer. But then I was faced with a decision. And if I didn’t make this decision, I would be on the fast road to death.

The cure was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was beyond the terrors of nausea-related sickness. So unbelievable… I’m not sure I remember just how horrible it was.

So what am I saying with all this?

Don’t take life for granted!

Receive life as a gift. How do we get gifts? We get them when someone loves us. You have been given a great gift – life!

Thinking, Moving, and Pumping

We live in an air-conditioned, edge-padded, drywalled world and we don’t give a second thought to hydration. When the weather is incessantly sticky outside, it doesn’t affect us because we’re too busy changing the world with our computers and positive vibes. We’re not even thinking about our bodies.

The natural environment gets our bodies thinking, moving, and pumping. Staying inside, our bodies don’t have to think as much. However, if one undergoes chemotherapy, one starts thinking about one’s body far more.

Chemotherapy has taken a toll on me. A great toll. And I don’t know how much of it still has a bone to pick with me. For some, it takes months before things get back to “normal.”

For myself, there are times now when I’m not sure if my body is dealing with chemical imbalance because of chemo or if I’m just having a bad day. It’s such a confusing battle. No life is without its trials. But I’m not going to wait for life to get better before I start living life the best I can. I’ve got to get my life going. I’ve got to get it thinking, moving, and pumping the juices again.

You Have Roommates

You are roommates with your life. You have to live it well. Because life will graduate one day. And then there will be Death. You’ll walk in one day and there’ll be Death, just standing there. He’ll be unpacking and filling up the same dresser drawers that Life was using just yesterday.

Death, however uninvited, is a roommate that will arrive. So, don’t take life for granted. Receive life as a gift. Life, however serious it may be at times, is an occupant until death arrives. So, take life seriously. But not so seriously that you don’t live it well and become too scared to actually live.